Rising From The Dirt
by Sam9
Summary: Set right after She Ain't Heavy. White makes a deal with Sam, but will everything go as he planned? - He ripped her from her life, stripped her dignity, and left her in the dirt. Now she has to fight back.
1. Epilogue

****

Disclaimer: I don't own them, so stop looking at me like that! 

****

Summary: Set right after She Ain't Heavy. White makes a deal with Sam, but will everything go as he planned? - He ripped her from her life, stripped her dignity, and left her in the dirt. Now she has to fight back.  


****

A/N: This was supposed to be a tribute to someone I used to know, although I kind of abandoned that idea the main line will always be the same: trying to get a message out there in the world. 

__

The universe is right on schedule. Everything happens the way it's supposed to. Don't waist time figuring out **why** bad things happen, focus on trying to figure out how to deal with the consequences. Don't give up and never stop fighting. 

Anyway, on with the story! And yes, I know Logan said that, and I know I'm M/A ;) I'm not crazy!

You may trod me   
in the very dirt   
But still,   
like dust,   
**I'll rise.**   
_-Maya Angelou_

~*Epilogue*~

On top of the Space Needle ...

Sam looked down at her feet. Her leather boots where soaked with mud, she could almost see her red, cold toes through the black fabric. But she couldn't feel them. She couldn't feel anything except the soft breeze of air caressing her cheeks and making her hair float with the waves of the wind, resembling a willow in the middle of a storm. Somehow she had made it here, and now she was making her way up, just looking at her boots. 

They were like her: dark and dirty. No matter how hard you tried to wash the memories off you could always see the remains of mud and dirt.

Careful not to slip and embarrass herself in front of the darkness watching her, she stepped onto the cold, grey material of the Space Needle.

The broken world beneath her looked so peaceful from up here. Almost like there wasn't a war going on there, right under her. That's why she had come up here, she had seen the Space Needle from down there... It looked so appealing, only transgenics would come up here. Humans didn't like heights, but the feline DNA inside of her certainly did.

__

It doesn't matter if I surrender, even if I did... The war would not be over.

She crouched down soundlessly, touching the dust that had made the Space Needle its home.

__

The war will never be over.

Sam sighed mournfully and sat down, pulling her legs to her chest and hugging them to her.

__

I don't want to remember. But they're right. The longer you push the memories away the harder they'll come rushing back to you and no matter how much it hurts right now I need to remember. Humans are clever. They figured that out. Memories burn, and you can't just pull your hand away from the fire.

She let her fingers trace the cold metal, letting the dust slide between her fingers. It slipped away unnoticed and fell back onto the metal as if it hadn't even moved.

__

I can't believe I let him do that to me.

She closed her eyes, enjoying the soft breeze playing with her hair, drying the tears she didn't know she had cried.

She pulled her legs closer to her and rested her head on her knees, letting the sobs that had been building up inside her finally out. _Damn you, Ames White. Damn you for taking everything I worked so hard for away._

Still sobbing she let the memories of what happened to her overcome her...

__

Note: If you want to know what happened, go on to chapter two ;-) (Does this sound like a scavengers hunt to you, too? Eek.) 


	2. Chapter One

****

Disclaimer: I don't own them, so stop looking at me like that! 

****

Summary: Set right after She Ain't Heavy. White makes a deal with Sam, but will everything go as he planned? - He ripped her from her life, stripped her dignity, and left her in the dirt. Now she has to fight back.  


****

A/N: This was supposed to be a tribute to someone I used to know, although I kind of abandoned that idea the main line will always be the same: trying to get a message out there in the world. 

__

The universe is right on schedule. Everything happens the way it's supposed to. Don't waist time figuring out **why** bad things happen, focus on trying to figure out how to deal with the consequences. Don't give up and never stop fighting. 

Anyway, on with the story! And yes, I know Logan said that, and I know I'm M/A ;) I'm not crazy!

You may trod me   
in the very dirt   
But still,   
like dust,   
**I'll rise.**   
_-Maya Angelou_

~*Chapter One*~

"You're all set." 452...Max' words shattered all the thoughts running through Sam's mind. 

Sam looked up at her 'big sister', and raised an eyebrow. She slowly got up and walked towards her.

"If you're expecting a thank-you, forget about it. None of this would've happened if it weren't for you."

Max merely nodded. _Sam is right, she was living the good life until **my**_ _demons came looking for me... and found her._ "You're right." She finally managed to say, and looked back in her clone's eyes. It was like looking in a mirror.

Alec, who had been watching them the whole time, couldn't help but smirk. Max looked like she could use some help. He smiled and walked over to them.

"You know, if Manticore hadn't gone down, you wouldn't even be with them." He nodded his head towards her husband and kid, waiting for her. She would have a hell of a lot to explain to them, especially her husband... He was listening to their conversation and Alec had noticed the look on his face when he mentioned Manticore. "And you know who took it down."

Sam raised an appreciative eyebrow at that, and watched Alec walk away again, giving them some time alone to talk. Although he doubted they would talk much.

"Not bad." She couldn't help but smile at her big sister. She had to give it to her; she had guts.

Max was getting uneasy and quickly handed Sam the keys to an SUV Alec had stolen from some gangster guys outside a strip club. "Good luck."

"You, too." With that they both turned away and Sam knew it wouldn't be long before she had to face Daniel and tell him the truth... That she was made in a lab.

"Come on," She said softly and walked back to the couch. All she wanted to do was hold Matthew but she knew she had some explaining to do, and it couldn't wait much longer. Daniel had heard their conversation, he knew she was from Manticore now. It wouldn't be long before he put two and two together and figured out that the way they met hadn't just been faith. She just hoped he would accept her and learn to forgive her someday.

She sighed and pulled Matthew up in her arms, smiling as the kid wrapped his legs around her waist and hugged his mother.

Daniel hesitated but put his arm around Sam's shoulder. To him it didn't matter what or who she was, all that mattered was that he loved her and she loved him and Matthew. That tiny bit of feline, canine... whatever-DNA didn't change who she was. The way she was holding their little guy made him feel warm inside and there was no doubt in his mind that she was human. 

Or a little.

Sam looked up at him, obviously surprised that he still wanted to touch her and wasn't running away screaming. He smiled at her confused face, and his smile only got bigger when he saw her eyes light up and her lips curl in an even bigger smile than his.

"So... Listen, I'm really sorry Dan." 

"Uh... It's okay. I think. I just need to get used to it."

Sam looked down sadly and hid the tears forming in her eyes by nuzzling her nose in Matthew's hair.

"I understand." She whispered softly.

Seeing her disappointed expression Daniel pulled her closer to him. "Sam, I love you and I always will but I just need some time to get used to it."

Sam closed her eyes and leaned against his shoulder. "Let's get out of here."

*****

A few hours later they were sitting in the SUV Alec had stolen for them in the parking lot of a road restaurant. Matthew was asleep in the back, Sam's jacket wrapped around his little shoulders. She smiled, watching him sleep. He looked so peaceful, so free... Sensing someone was staring at her, she looked up. Daniel's big hazel eyes were studying her intensely but there was a faint smile playing on his lips.

"What are you lookin' at?" She said, grinning at him.

"You."

She snorted. "Smartass!" Her hand shot out to hit him playfully but it stopped in mid air as his lips touched hers lightly and his arms wrapped around her waist. "Mmm..." Was all she could make out as he intensified the kiss and pulled her closer to him.

Her eyes closed instinctively as his hands explored the skin of her back, pulling the fabric of her shirt up a little. His touch felt like hot fire against the coldness of the world they were living in and she found herself lost in their kiss, leaning forward trying to make the kiss even more passionate than it already was.

Before she could totally drown in him he pulled away, getting a soft moan of protest from her. 

"Why'd you stop?" Her voice sounded husky and it sent shivers down his spine.

"I always thought you were a great kisser, now I know why." He said with a smirk, brushing his lips against hers again but pulling back when she moved closer to kiss him.

"We can't... Matthew..."

"I know." With that, she sat back down in her seat and started the engine, sulking slightly.

*****

It had started raining and Sam was getting tired, so she decided she would pull over to make a stop at the nearest hotel. 

She tapped her fingers on the wheel and sighed. "The nearest hotel," She muttered sarcastically, "Isn't exactly near... Ugh." 

Sam didn't usually get tired but tonight she was exhausted. So much had happened in such a short time and she hadn't exactly had a lot of time to deal with her emotions. How were they going to get a new life? Where were they going to get the money? But somehow Daniel seemed okay with the fact he was married to a transgenic that had almost caused his death just a few hours earlier.

She looked over at him, still paying attention to the road, and smiled trying to suppress a fit of giggles. Daniel's head was leaning against the cold window, his mouth was opened slightly and he was making soft snoring noises. 

Looking behind Daniel's sleeping form she could see Matthew hugging her jacket, also asleep.

She looked back to the road, and continued tapping the wheel. 

"Boooring..." 

Sam almost screamed out of happiness when her eyes fell on a pink light about 2 minutes away. Squinting her eyes to read the neon sign she groaned. "The Love Motel? What kind of a name is that?" She turned to Daniel and softly shook his shoulder to wake him up. "Daniel, wake up. We'll stop here 'kay?" 

Daniel yawned and looked around, obviously confused by waking up in a car. He nodded weakly and stretched his legs as much as he could. "Is Matt still sleeping?" He managed to ask, although his voice still sounded groggy. 

"Yap." She quipped up and parked the car in the tiny sandy parking lot. "Can you carry Matt inside?"

Daniel nodded again and slowly got out of the car, still a bit sleepy. 

Sam quickly crossed the parking lot and made her way to the entrance of the small motel. Before opening the door she looked back at Daniel, pulling a still sleeping Matthew out of the car, careful not to wake him up.

*****

The clerk looked up at them, shocked that they weren't all over each other like most of the customers that came to this motel.

"We'd like a room please." Daniel said, shifting Matthew's sleeping form to rest more comfortable on his shoulder.

"Two beds?" The clerk asked, not sure why a couple with a kid would come to The Love Motel.

"Uh... Yeah, we'll take it."

"Room 7, down the hall there." The clerk said, pointing towards an ugly, smelly hall on the right of them.

Daniel took the key from him and looked at Sam. She was looking around, taking in her surroundings. Daniel smiled at that, Sam had always been careful and now he knew why, and he didn't mind at all that she was a transgenic. She was a great one.

*****

Ames White threw his cell phone against the wall and watched it shatter in pieces. Otto swallowed hard. 

"Find her! Find that transgenic piece of filth!" He bellowed angrily. "You better find that freak, we wouldn't want her running lose on the streets any longer now, would we?" He snarled and glared devilishly at Otto.

"We have a lead on 452, sir!" Otto tried to hide the fear in his voice. It was like trying to keep hold of a slippery eel.

"Well then? Where the hell is that bitch?" He was getting impatient, he hated it when people had more information than him and didn't share it with him right away.

"We've located a white SUV near a motel in Tacoma."

Before Otto could say anything else, White barged through the doors of the office and made his way to the garage. 

"If we lose this lead," He growled threateningly at Otto, "You're a dead man!" With that he got in the car, followed reluctantly by Otto and sped off towards Tacoma. 

*****

Sam groaned and rolled over. "Man, are they ever gonna quit or are they gonna keep banging the gong _all_ night?" 

"They can't keep this up all night, can they? I never thought sex could be so loud!"

Sam laughed at the look on his face. "Maybe they're energiser-bunnies..."

Daniel rolled his eyes at her. "No way. I'm married to a transgenic beauty and we have energiser-bunnies as neighbours?! There is no God!" 

"Hey!" She said, faking an angry voice but the huge grin on her face gave her away.

"You know I'm just kidding, hunny." He whispered huskily and pulled her on top of him.

"I know," She kissed him softly. "But I also know Matthew is sleeping on the other bed." She winked at him and rolled back to the other side of the bed.

"Who cares?" He tried to pull her back but she just hit him playfully.

"I'm gonna check this place out, I'll be back soon okay?" She kissed him quickly, hopped off the bed and looked around for her jacket.

"Hey, where's my jacket?"

Daniel smirked, "I think Matthew has decided it looks better on him."

She rolled her eyes and shrugged. "I'll just take yours then." And with a wink, she was out of there.

*****

White quickly got out of the black BMW and hurried towards the motel. "452's got a great taste, doesn't she? The Love Motel..." He laughed sarcastically and entered the tiny lobby.

The clerk looked up from the magazine he was reading and looked at the two men standing in front of him. They weren't here for pleasure that's for sure. And if they were, he really didn't want to know about it.

"Can I help you?"

"I hope so. Have you seen this woman?" White impatiently held up a picture of Max.

The guy looked at it and nodded. "Yeah I've seen her, she just went out though."

"Dammit!" He yelled angrily and glared at Otto. Hoping to find a clue of where she might have gone he turned back to the clerk. "What room did she rent?"

"Room 7, why? Do you know her? The guy and the kid she was with are still here."

"So she didn't leave." It wasn't a question. White could hear Otto sigh in relief.

"No, she just went out for air, I guess." The clerk shrugged and went back to reading his magazine.

"Let's go wait for our...friend." He said evilly and nodded his head to the hallway.

__

Note: Okay, tell me what you think. I got a whole lot written already, so it's up to you if I should continue posting this :-) If you're wondering what's up with the rating, you'll find out in the next chapter. That's all, I think. Peace. Over. (What's with me and Logan quotes? Aah!) Please let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter Two

****

Disclaimer: I don't own them, so stop looking at me like that! 

****

Summary: Set right after She Ain't Heavy. White makes a deal with Sam, but will everything go as he planned? - He ripped her from her life, stripped her dignity, and left her in the dirt. Now she has to fight back.  


****

A/N: This was supposed to be a tribute to someone I used to know, although I kind of abandoned that idea the main line will always be the same: trying to get a message out there in the world. 

__

The universe is right on schedule. Everything happens the way it's supposed to. Don't waist time figuring out **why** bad things happen, focus on trying to figure out how to deal with the consequences. Don't give up and never stop fighting. 

Anyway, on with the story! And yes, I know Logan said that, and I know I'm M/A ;) I'm not crazy!

You may trod me   
in the very dirt   
But still,   
like dust,   
**I'll rise.**   
_-Maya Angelou_

~*Chapter Two*~

There wasn't much to see in the area around the motel and Sam had quickly seen everything there was to see, so she'd decided to go back to their room when she spotted two black BMWs standing close to the forest around the little motel. Immediately thinking of White and his breeding cult buddies she hurried across the parking lot to take a closer look.

The cars definitely looked like they were supposed to be hidden from view. 

Without thinking Sam ran back to the motel as fast as she could, ignoring the clerk's questioning look as she barged into the door she ran into their room.

"Daniel! Dan – No." She stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes falling on a man sitting comfortably on the bed. With her enhanced vision she could easily make out his features. The features of the man that, just hours ago, had managed to fuck up her entire life. The life she worked so hard for. The life that made her so happy and now seemed like a faint memory, a dream she had had. 

White just laughed at her and made his way to her calmly.

She took a step back, only to find the door closed behind her. "Where the hell are they, White?"

"Now now, 453, no need to get hostile." 

She glared at him, looking around for a trace of Daniel and Matthew.

"You won't find them here, 453." White continued to step towards her, calmly.

"Where did you take them?"

"It wouldn't be fun if I told you, would it?"

Sam didn't reply, instead she lunged forward and hit him with a hard left hook.

White barely noticed though and sent her flying back against the wall.

Sam was a bit taken aback by his strength but quickly dismissed it, hoping she could get out of here alive and save Daniel and Matthew.

"I thought you wanted 452," She said, thinking quickly. "You don't need me."

"Your clone's a freak. So are you. I see no difference." White had made his way across the room and their faces were now almost touching. Sam shuddered and looked around the room, focusing on anything but White.

"I'm nothing like my clo – sister!" Sam fought the urge to spit him in the face. Angering him wouldn't get her out of here. 

"Nothing like her?" He asked, raising a questioning eyebrow at her. "You look just like her, you act like her... Hell, I hate you just as much as her. But I need you, you're useful."

"Bastard!" She snarled.

White ignored her and calmly continued. "You can co-operate, or not. It doesn't matter to me. But you _will _help us either way."

"I'll never help you, you sick asshole." Her voice sounded cold, her eyes were sparkling with anger. White sighed in disgust. He needed her to be afraid of him, and her anger wasn't helping.

Deciding the best way to make her intimidated by him, he slapped her hard across the face.

Sam's deep chocolate brown eyes immediately shot up to stare at him in shock. Her face paled slightly but her anger didn't seem to fade. "Is that all you got?"

White fought the urge to roll his eyes at her; instead he brought up his arm uppercut her. It would cause any human's nose to break and send warm blood oozing over his hand, but it only connected with the hard wall and he growled loudly. 

Turning back to face her, White was surprised to see Otto was already holding up his gun, pointing it at Sam.

She knew better than to try and take White out; he wasn't human. She had already figured that out. But what about the guy he was with? She took in the way he was standing there. The gun he was holding was aimed directly had her head. He didn't look like a threat but the gun he was aiming at her was, he was obviously trained to use it and if he fired, the bullet would go straight between her eyes.

White smiled evilly at her. "Give it up, soldier."

Sam sighed and let her shoulders relax. Fighting wouldn't get her anywhere. She might as well find out where co-operating would get her.

White looked slightly surprised by that. Sam couldn't help but smirk as her thoughts drifted to her... Sister. That girl definitely had guts, standing up against White like that. 

Sam had always had a lot of respect for authorities, making her the complete opposite of Max. And she couldn't help but listen to White now; she didn't know his background. All she knew was that Max had his son, but after spending some time with her sister she realised Max was very honourable and wouldn't just take someone's son away without a really good reason. She was starting to trust White less and less. 

White's cold voice cut off her thoughts. "Are you just gonna stand there, or do I have to carry you to the car?"

She just brushed past him and briskly made her way to the black BMWs.

*****

Sam looked around White's 'base' with a perched eyebrow. It looked like a bunch of cheap computers and some government agents that probably didn't even know what they were doing there, packed together in a room. Nothing big, nothing at all like what she was used to at Manticore. 

She swallowed as she walked in, feeling everyone in the room tense and look up when they entered the small facility. White obviously had a lot of respect, but she knew he hadn't earned it in a fair way. _They're probably just scared of him. Morons. _

White motioned for her to sit down, which she did reluctantly, and studied her for a while.

He didn't understand how two people who looked exactly the same could act so differently. 

452 would have already made some witty comment about the facility, and she certainly would not just co-operate like her younger clone sitting in font of him quietly was doing now.

453's soft curls framed her face, her lips were slightly pouting and her eyes were carefully looking around the room.

That had to be the difference, their facial expressions and 452's straight hair. White nodded to himself, proud that he could now tell them apart. But of course, the biggest difference was their barcode and genetic make-up. 

He had been so lost in thought that he hadn't noticed 453's big chocolate brown eyes staring up at him, waiting for him to talk. 

"What do you want from me?" She asked coldly.

"I want you to do what you didn't succeed in doing the last time we talked. You have three days, starting by sunset... If you fail, don't bother coming back for your husband and kid."

"Why do you think I'm going to help _you_?" 

"Because if you don't, I'll make sure that idiot you married will have a nice red bullet hole between his eyes... Not to mention the slow, painful dead your son is awaiting. So we'll trade. Your son for my son, your husband for 452. I think you know how I'm feeling right now, 453." He glared at her. "It's the best trade you'll ever make."

Sam hesitated but nodded slowly, narrowing her eyes at him coldly. "I work alone."

"You're repeating yourself, 453."

"I'm glad you remembered." She smiled sweetly at him, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"How can I be sure you won't fail this time?"

"You're just going to have to trust me." She winked at him, the evil smile still playing on her lips, and turned to leave.

"You're not going anywhere, 453." White's voice said behind her. The coldness of his voice made her shiver. "Not yet." 

Before Sam could turn around her she felt a sharp pain at the back of her head. Her world went black and she fell down to the ground, unconscious.

White smiled at her frail form lying on the ground. "Give her the anaesthetics and get her out of my sight."


End file.
